| Mexico
City is the capital city of the nation of Mexico. The "Distrito Federal"
is also commonly referred to as the "D.F." It is one of the largest cities
in the world and is classed as a megalopolis as it encompasses one large
city that has slowly engulfed other, smaller ones. It is located in the
Valley of Mexico, a large valley in the high plateaus at the center of
Mexico, about 2,240 meters (7,349 feet) above sea-level, surrounded on
most sides by volcanoes towering at 4,000 to 5,500 meters (13,000 to 18,000
feet) above sea-level.
Mexico
City, as a municipality, was established in 1521 by Hernán Cortéz
in the middle of the now drained Lake Texcoco on the ruins of Tenochtitlan,
the capital of the Aztec Empire, and of its lesser-known twin city Tlatelolco.
The municipality was abolished in 1928, and the name "Mexico City" can
now refer to two things. Officially, the name "Ciudad de México"
is used by the Distrito Federal (D.F.). The D.F. is a federal district
serving as the capital of Mexico and which is administered by the Mexican
Federal Government. The D.F. encompasses the historical center of Mexico
City, but is much larger than the historical municipality of Mexico City
abolished in 1928. |
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| The
urbanized area of Mexico City covers only the north of the D.F., while
the south of the D.F. is made up of rural areas and mountains. Although
the D.F. is not a municipality, the name "Ciudad de México" is used
by Mexican authorities as a synonym for the Distrito Federal (Federal District).
According
to the Constitution of Mexico, Mexico City is the Federal District, (Distrito
Federal). This is actually a fairly recent reform (dating from 1993) of
Article 44 of the Constitution, and it was aimed at ending two centuries
of quite sterile discussions (and occasional problems on jurisdiction)
about whether one concept engulfed the other or even if one of the two
entities really had any legal existence in lieu of the other. The complete
text of the aforementioned reform also states that Mexico City is the seat
of the Powers of the Union (Executive, Legislative and Judicial) and capital
of the United Mexican States.
In
a broader meaning, "Mexico City" refers to the whole metropolitan area
of Greater Mexico City. The metropolitan area extends beyond the limits
of the D.F. and encompasses (as of 2000) 35 independent municipalities
located in the State of México (Estado de México), to the
north, east, and west of the D.F., extending as far north as the State
of Hidalgo. The metropolitan area of Greater Mexico City had 17.8 million
inhabitants at the 2000 Mexican census. This means Mexico City is among
the five most populated metropolitan areas in the world on par with Tokyo,
New York City, Seoul and São Paulo.
Mexico
City, with its distinct mestizo culture, blending native Indian (Nahuatl)
and Spanish heritages, has in recent decades become one of the great financial,
economic, educational, cultural, and tourist centers of the world.
 Attractions:
Famous
landmarks in Mexico City include the Zócalo (officially Constitution
Square), the main central square with its time clashing Spanish-era Metropolitan
Cathedral and Palacio Nacional, and ancient Aztec temple ruins Templo Mayor
are all within a few steps of one another. (The Templo Mayor was discovered
in 1978 while workers were digging to place underground electric cables.)
The trademark golden Angel of Independence found on the wide, elegant avenue
Paseo de la Reforma, modeled by the order of the Emperor Maximilian of
Mexico after the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The Avenida de
los Insurgentes, locally said to be the longest street in the world, goes
28.8 km (18 miles) from end to end of the city.
The
Chapultepec park houses the Chapultepec Palace museum on a hill that overlooks
the park and its numerous museums, monuments and the national zoo; the
National Museum of Anthropology (which houses the Aztec Calendar Stone),
the Bellas Artes Fine Arts Palace which is a stunning white marble theater/museum
whose weight is such that it has gradually been sinking into the soft ground
below, the Plaza of the Three Cultures in the Tlatelolco neighborhood,
and the shrine and Basilicas of Our Lady of Guadalupe. There is a double
decker bus known as the "Turibus" that circles most of these sites, and
has timed audio describing the sites in multiple languages as they are
passed.
In
addition, the city has around 160 museums, over 100 art galleries, and
some 30 concert halls. In many locales (The Palacio Nacional and the Instituto
Nacional de Cardiología to name a few), there are murals by Diego
Rivera. He and his wife Frida Kahlo lived in the southern suburb of Coyoacán,
where several of their homes, studios, and collections are open to the
public. Nearby is the house of Leon Trotsky, where he was murdered in 1940.
In 1983 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built the scenic
Mexico City Mexico Temple here because of the large number of members in
the area.
In
addition there are several restored Haciendas that are now restaurants
such as the San Angel Inn, Hacienda de Tlalpan and the Hacienda de los
Morales, all of which are stunning remnants of Mexican glory and house
some of the best food in the world.
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more about Mexico City on Wikipedia |
